Sparking Leadership #1: Lighten the load - the hidden power of delegation

Have you ever been hiking with a group? If so, you probably know that one of the first rules of hiking is to only bring what you can carry on your back.

Now imagine if, instead of following that rule, you are carrying everyone else's backpack. How long can you hike with that extra load on your shoulders?

Trying to lead without delegating is exactly like that. At first, it feels noble. Responsible. You are caring for your team, you are making easier for them to reach the top.

But after a while? You’re exhausted. You can’t see the path clearly. And worse - you’re slowing everyone down.

Because when you carry all the weight:

🛑 Your team doesn’t build their own strength.

🛑 You become the bottleneck.

🛑 The pace, innovation, and growth of the team grind to a crawl.

Some of the most common reasons why leaders hesitate to delegate:

❌ Lack of trust in the team's abilities - "They will not get it right and I will have to fix their mistakes".

❌ Not investing in coaching for long-term success - "It will take too long to explain what I want so I might as well do it myself".

❌ Prioritizing perfection over growth - "I just need this to be absolutely perfect and only I know how to do that".

Here's what helped me change my mindset around delegation:

In "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People", Stephen Covey introduces the idea of "stewardship delegation" which is a more empowering way to delegate.

Instead of handing off just tasks or instructions, you delegate outcomes. You define the "what" and the "why", then give your team the autonomy to figure out the "how".

It’s built on trust and clarity (not micromanagement). You provide the vision, boundaries, and resources. They bring their creativity, accountability, and ownership.

As a result, people don’t just complete assignments - they grow through them. And your role shifts from managing #work to multiplying capability.

Another useful rule of thumb that I learned from experience is this:

👉 If they can do it 70% as well as you can, delegate it. 👈

This will free up your time for higher-priority responsibilities and provide your team space for growth by allowing them more ownership of their tasks.

By delegating, you build a team that climbs the mountain with you - carrying their own weight and helping everyone reach the top, together.

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🌟Sparking Leadership is a series of weekly posts on #leadership. I’ve been writing about leadership for some time now - sharing inspiration, strategies, and stories with my network. Now, I’m giving this rhythm a name and a little spark of its own. Follow along if you're interested in leading with more clarity, courage, and intention. And if there’s a leadership challenge you’d love to see tackled, let me know. In the meantime, lead with spark!